family

DianaK

Appreciations 4.297-4.305

The past few weeks have been a bit of a challenge for me. Anxiety and depression (both very common after a vfib / ICD shock experience like I had in March) have made it difficult to function. I am incredibly grateful to the understanding people in my life, beautiful friends, excellent therapist and docs, and the other lovely folks I encounter when I get out of the house. 🙂

After yesterday’s visit with the advanced heart failure specialist, I am feeling a bit more hopeful, a bit less anxious, and hope to return to my optimistic, appreciative, joyful self soon. For now, one day at a time. Today is a better day — so I can finally post the appreciations I’ve at least managed to jot down during the past week or so. 😀

toby helping with tools4.297. Toby’s help with our tool sorting project.  Getting all the lumber on site for the step replacement project. Dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer!

4.298.  Rain. Thunder. My wonderful and trusted therapist, Lynn.

4.299.  Mini visit with Katie. Our fun cat water fountain. Ricola cough drops.

4.300.  Coffee with Katie – and the straw wrapper heart she made for me. Sunshine.  Cina telling me I’m rad and MVP. ❤ Time with Terri, Ellis, and Ruby. Ruby’s drawings and the flower she gave me (which is, apparently, edible and “tastes like salad!”).

4.301. Time with the kids. Painting side door. Yummy coffee.

4.302. Fun BLT father’s day party at Jeff & Laura’s. The sweet smell of sycamore trees. Puppy cuddles.

Toby lounging4.303. Weird Toby lounging on the chair. Visit with Duncan girls, my folks, and with Jeff & Laura all in one day. ❤ Bedtime rain.

Chicago mug4.304. Chicago mug. Time with Katie and Mckenzie. Encouraging doctor appointment (and Katie’s company during it!). Driving on the freeways again. Sweet texts from the awesome kids in my life. Strawberry moon on solstice.

4.305. Hope. Sunshine. Laughter.

DianaK

Appreciations 4.296

Ida 2016Awesome morning with Sarah and Ida, picking out paint samples, making plans, giggling, and having fun. 😀

Lovely cooler weather and nice breeze made for a really comfortable walk — and comfortable yard work. Look ma, no sweat! 😉

The wonderful people in my life, offering so much support, love, and comfort as I traverse this new PTSD/depression terrain (or as Katie calls it, my mental illness sampler platter…) I am incredibly fortunate to have these amazing people in my life. ❤

DianaK

Appreciations 4.293-4.295

293

  • Decent sleep and no nightmares.
  • Morning coffee with Debb… just like the old days. 😀
  • Silver linings — like getting an additional 2500 steps in while looking for what we needed (including someone to help us find what we needed) at Menards.

294

  • Yummy dinner and reminiscing with Debb. Oh, what a fun visit!
  • Good hand lotion.
  • Raspberries.

295

  • Side steps demolition complete! Hot, sweaty work (done mostly by Mckenzie!), but satisfying, too. Lots of work for my right tricep! 😉
  • Levers of all kinds, especially pry bars, hammer heads, and arms!
  • WD40.
  • Ice water.
  • Air conditioning!
  • Cool showers.
DianaK

Appreciations 4.292

Gorgeous weather.

Walk to Royal Grounds and coffee with Katie.

Delicious dinner with Debb & Katie.

IMG_4431Sweet after-dinner walk with Katie — and the friendliest cat in the neighborhood! This little kitty has come with us on several walks and purrs and purrs and purrs…and comes really close to me every time I try to take a photo.

DianaK

Appreciations 4.291 – back on the grid

Getting back up after a few down days.

The joy of preparing Pillsbury Plaza for Debb’s visit. So. Much. Fun. Thanks for the help and inspiration, Mckenzie, Katie, and Cina!

Last night’s side-splitting giggle fest with Debb when we took a selfie to share with Libby for her birthday. Happy birthday, cuz!! We even channeled Aunt Barb’s silent laugh and Ivan’s foot-stomping, knee-slapping laugh! It’s all in the family. 😉

DianaK

Appreciations 4.288-290

sunglasses-squadBeing part of the sunglasses squad. I like these people so much!

The way the air smells outside after a rain.

Walking.

Amazing gardens near me. I love that so many neighbors’ front yards are all or mostly garden! 42nd garden.JPG

Breathing.

Finding pools of calm and joy even during darker days.

Beautiful friends reaching out to see how I’m doing.

funky treeThe cool variety of trees the city’s planted to replace the lost elms. Hooray biodiversity.

Sunshine.

Rain.

Wind.

DianaK

Appreciations 4.284 – garden therapy

Aha, sleep you funny, fickle friend. Got to sleep before 5 am, at least! Sticking Tongue Out Smiley Sure is interesting being up in the middle of the night. I like the stillness of it…though I’m willing to miss out on that most of the time. 😉

Nice  chat with Laura during our drive today (thank you!). She’s so much fun! I always learn something new (like using recycled concrete for landscaping projects!) and we always find stuff to laugh about. Today’s topics included all the projects we have going – native plants, paths, and patios. 🙂

I am really loving the time Mckenzie and I spend working on the yard every night. Today’s cooler temps were a welcome switch from last night’s buggy mugginess. ❤ Front yard is really starting to shape up… We have 4 big bags of weeds from just the past two days alone. Yowsa!

Garden maniGarden therapy=garden hands. Very satisfying on all levels. 😀

DianaK

Appreciations 4.283

9 hours of sleep! Woohoo! Doesn’t quite get me caught up from the previous night, but sure felt like a little miracle. 🙂

Nicely balanced day with work work, errands, and yard work.

Working with Mckenzie to take plants from Sarah’s yard (thank you, Sarah!!) and plant them in ours. We are finding that we can get so much done in just an hour or two of work each night. Our yard looks better and better each day!

DianaK

Appreciations 4.282 – surreal night, sunny day

All the many, many nights when I get to sleep before 6:30 am (and therefore get more than 2 1/2 hours of sleep)! What a surreal, strange night. It was nice to get some cleaning done during the middle of the night… and wake up having already logged more than 2,000 steps for the day. Hahaha!

Are You Sure?Today’s mindfulness reminder sign. It will be fun to play with this question and see how that affects things.

Lovely visit this morning with Sarah and Ida. Our first walk up to the farmer’s market for the season, and then chatting with neighbors and introducing them to the Duncan girls on our way home.

Another nice visit with my folks and Jeni and Jeff. We (and by we, I mean my dad and Jeff. I am too short for this project.) fixed my outside light and the guys also talked logistics of repairing (and by repairing, I mean rebuilding) my side steps. I’ll help with the labor, but I’ll leave the planning up to the engineering experts. 🙂

Okay, this one was from last year’s appreciations for today, but I am super appreciating it again! How fun in the first place, and how fun to remember it today: The guy directing traffic in the liquor store parking lot who was dressed up in pantaloons and a plumed hat, and did awesome fancy-dancy moves to direct the cars. ❤

DianaK

Appreciations 4.281 – habit energy

IMG_4382Today I’ve been thinking about habit energy. So interesting to think about things like this, and to pick and choose which ones I want to keep, which habits are serving me well. I will keep my habit of appreciating people and the big, wonderful world. I will work on releasing my habits of judgment and harsh thinking. ❤

Getting out for a sweet little walk this evening. I’ve been inside working a lot the past few days and really feel the difference when I’m able to get out and be in the world even a little.

Nice chat with Jeff tonight. I know he and Laura have been here for awhile now, but I am still appreciating the newness of being able to see and talk to them more often!